Device for administering medicine



April '2, 1957 V. L. PAIANO DEVICE FOR ADMINISTERING MEDICINE Filed Jan. 10, 1956 INVENTOR. VINCENT L. PAIANo Wazw/ w United States. Patent 6 DEVICE FOR ADMINISTERING MEDICINE Vincent L. Paiano, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application January 10, 1956, Serial No. 558,211

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-172) This invention relates generally to devices for the oral administration of medicine, and is particularly directed to such devices as enable the administration of a disguising liquid together with the medicine.

The particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the drawings and which will be described hereinafter in greater detail, comprises generally a cup having bottom and side walls and adapted to contain a disguising liquid to be drunk. The cup is provided in a wall thereof with an internal reservoir adapted to contain the medicine, and an outlet opening from the reservoir through the rim of the cup to administer the medicine conjointly with the disguising liquid upon elevation of the cup to a drinking position.

As is well known, children usually resist taking medicine orally, especially disagreeable tasting medicine, so that much time and effort is often expended in attempting the conventional oral administration by spoon, dropper or the like, and frequently without success.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a device of the type described for the oral administration of medicine, which device presents the appearance of a conventional drinking cup to simulate ordinary drinking conditions, and which enables the medicine to be administered simultaneously with a disguising liquid so that a child will not suspect that medicine is being administered.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for the oral administration of medicine together with a disguising liquid, wherein the medicine is administered gradually as the liquid is drunk, and which effectively prevents sepaartion or settling out at different layers of the disguising liquid and medicine, as occurs when medicine and a disguising liquid of different densities are mixed.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device of the type described which enables even relatively small children to effect the self-administration of medicine, or which enables the medicine to be emitted into the childs mouth under fluid pressure, without the child knowing that medicine is being consumed.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide a device for the oral administration of medicine having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs, which is extremely simple in construction and durable in use, easily cleaned, which may be employed as a conventional drinking cup, and can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

2,787,267 Patented Apr. 2, 1957 Figure 1 is a top perspective view showing a medicine administering device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view taken substantially along the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial elevational view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing a slightly modified form of medicine administering device constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and specifically to Figures 1-3 thereof, the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein comprises a drinking cup, generally designated 10, having a laterally projecting loop type ear or handle 11.

The cup 10 may include a generally circular bottom wall 13, and an upstanding side wall 14 extending upwards from and peripherally about the bottom wall.

Thus, the bottom wall 13 and side wall 14 combine to define an open top receptacle adapted to contain a disguising liquid to be drunk.

The upper edge portion or rim of the cup 10 may be defined by an enlarged peripherally extending bead 15, as illustrated. The handle or loop 11 is located exteriorly of the cup and projects laterally outwards from one portion of the side wall 14.

Internally of the bottom wall 13 is formed an elongate chamber or reservoir 17 which extends diametrically across the bottom wall, and continues from its opposite ends upwards, defining upwardly extending passageways 18 and 16 in opposed portions of the cup side wall 14. The internal side wall passage 13 terminates at its upper end }in an outlet or port 19 opening through the cup rim 15. Hence, the passageway 18 communicates from the chamber 17 through the outlet 19 with the exterior of the cup. The passageway 16 is located in the side wall region adjacent to the loop 11 and terminates at its upper end in a laterally outwardly projecting tubular protuberance or nipple 20. As best seen in Figure 2, the nipple 20 projects into the space within the loop 11 and may be externally threaded for detachably retaining a resiliently depressible hollow member or bulb 21 engaged over the nipple. That is, the hollow member or bulb 21 is located within the loop 11 and detachably secured in embracing engagement with the nipple 20 so that the interior of the bulb communicates through the nipple and passageway 16 with the interior of the reservoir 17.

In use, the bulb 21 may be removed from the nipple 2b, as by unscrewing and liquid medicine admitted either through the nipple or outlet 10, as by an eyedropper or other suitable means, into the chamber or reservoir 17 and the passageways 18 and 16. If desired, the depressible bulb 21 may remain secured on the nipple 20 and be depressed to suck medicine inwards through the outlet 19 and passageway 18 into the chamber 17. A suitable quantity of disguising liquid, preferably pleasant to the taste, may then be introduced in the conventional manner through the open upper end of the cup or receptacle 10 so as to be contained by the receptacle bottom and side walls 13 and 14. Upon elevation of the cup to a position for drinking the disguising liquid, the bulb 21 may be gradually depressed to expel medicine from the reservoir 17 outwards through the passageway 18 and outlet 19 into the drinkers mouth together with the disguising liquid. Gradual depression. of the bulb 21 may be performed by an adult or, with some training, by the child himself. It will be noted that the handle 11 provides a guard extending about the bulb 21 to prevent inadvertent depression of the latter.

After the disguising liquid has been drunk, and the bulb 21 simultaneously depressed sufiiciently to force all of the medicine into the childs mouth, the bulb may be released and the cup removed from its drinking position. The device may-then be cleaned by removing or detaching the bulb v 21 from the nipple .ZOa-ndthen passing water inwards through the outlet 19, passageway .18, chamber 17,; passageway 16 and out through the nippleZt).

In Figures 4 and '5 .are shown-a slightly modified form of the present invention, wherein an upwardly opening receptacle or cup, generally designated 1% includes a generally circular bottom-wall 13'-and an upstanding side wall 14 extending peripherally about and upwards from the bottom wall.

Provided on the upper edge .portion of the sidewall 14' is a peripheral enlargement or bead .15. An elongate chamber or reservoir '25 is formed internally of the enlarged rim 15 and extends .arcuatelyalonga substantial portion of the rim, as best seen in Figure 5. In the illustratedembodiment the chamber or reservoir 25 extends approximately 180 internally of the rim 15' and terminates at its opposite ends in fluid communication with obliquely upwardly extending passageways 26 and 27. More particularly, the-passageways 26 and 27 are substantially spaced from eachother, being diametrically opposed in the illustrated embodiment, and each opens generally obliquely upwards from the rim 15' to the exterior of the device. The outwardly opening passageway 26 may be considered as an outlet, and the outwardly opening passageway 27 may beconsidered as an .by gravity outwards through the outlet passageway 26 into the drinkers mouth together with the disguising liquid. The passageway 27 permits the entry of air into the reservoir 25 to replace the medicine passing outwards through the outlet 26. Hence, the embodiment of Figtures 4 and Sis adapted for automatic gravity operation without the aid of an adult.

If it is desired to close orpartially close the vent passageway 27, say during elevation of the device to the drinkers lips or to reduce the rate of flow outwards through the outlet 26, a persons finger may be placed over the vent, or a suitable stopper inserted in the vent.

Here again, elfective cleaning may be accomplished by passing a stream of water through the reservoir 25 into one of the passageways 26 or 27 and out of the other passageway.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a device for administering liquid medicine to children conjointly with a disguising liquid which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions ofmanufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described'in some detail by way of illustration and-example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention .and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for the oral administration of liquid medicine, said device comprising a drinking cup having a bottom wall and an upstandingperipheral side wall and adapted to contain a disguising liquid to be drunk, said cup being provided with a chamber formed internally of said bottom wall and a pair of passageways extending upwards from said chamber internally 0f pposed side wall portions, oneo'f said passageways opening upwards through a rim portion of said cup, and a resiliently depressible hollow member arranged ,exteriorly of said cup and secured to the 19.1161 in fluid communication with the upperend of the other of said passageways, whereby a quantity of liquid medicine is adapted to be sucked inwards through said outlet and into said chamber upon depression and release of said hollow member and subsequently administered'to the mouth of a drinker together with said disguising liquid upon elevation of the cup to a drinking position and depression of said hollow member.

2. A deviceaccording to claim 1, in combination with a hand grip projecting laterally outwards from said cup side wall and extending about said hollow member to protect the latter from inadvertent depression.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 213,455 'Schenck Mar. V18, 1879 747,123 Bourke etal. ,Dec. 15, 1903 978,681 Walther Dec. 13, 1910 2,252,119 Edmonds u, Aug. 12, 1941 2,616,593 Leibenhaut Nov. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 356,580 Germany July,22, 1922 554,823 'France Mar. 10, 1922 

